Hisbodidus is a gateway to the Secrets of the Torah

One who wants to taste a taste of the ohr haganuz [cached light], that is, the secrets of the Torah that will be revealed in the future, he should abound in hisbodidus between himself and his Creator, and judge and adjudicate himself all the time, regarding all his affairs and conduct, if this is proper and befitting for him to do, and to conduct like this against Hashem Yisburach, Who deals out to him goodness all the time and at every instance. And he should “manage his affairs {/dispense his words} judicially (Psalms 112:5),” and bring himself to account for everything. He himself should judge and adjudicate himself over all his affairs and deeds, and by this, he will remove from himself all fright, and he will be saved from the fallen fears, meaning that he'll not be afraid or frightened from any officer or lord, or dangerous beast, or bandits - nor from anything in the world, only from Hashem Yisburach alone he will fear and be frightened. And by this he will raise the fear to its root, which is da'as (realization of knowledge) – that he will merit complete da'as (realization of knowledge), that he will know from whom to fear, namely to fear the Glorious Name alone, [with a] fear of [His] loftiness (“yiras haroamimus”). And through this, he will merit an attainment [of perception] of the revealed Torah, and through this he will merit to true humility, and through this he will merit to prayer with meseeras nefesh (giving over of the soul, self-sacrifice) to abnegate all his physicality and ego at the time of prayer, and he will pray without any intention of self-benefit, and he will not think of himself as anything – just, he will annul all his physicality and his essence (/ego), as if he isn't in the world. And through this, he will come to the attainment [of perception] of the Hidden Torah, which is the ohr haganuz (cached light) which will be revealed in the future. And all this is attained through hisbodidus, as mentioned previously.

(Likutay Moharan, Torah 15:1-4; Outpouring of the Soul, article 52)

Personal words to G-d are Divinely inspired

The words that a person converses and speaks between himself and his Maker are the aspect of ruach hakodesh (Divine inspiration), for through undertaking this, and forcing himself, and preparing himself to speak before Hashem Yisburach, Hashem Yisburach sends him words in his mouth which are the aspect of ruach hakodesh (Divine inspiration). And it is necessary to see to it, and to endeavor to innovate always, to beseech at all times with new words of appeasement and entreaties, and one merits this through purity of the heart, which one merits through the holy motion of the intellect (as is explained in the entry of Daas, article 3).

Added from Outpouring of the Soul, article 64

And this is (Psalms 51:12), “A pure heart create for me, G-d,” then (continuation of the verse), “and a resolute (/correct/established) spirit create (/renew) inside of me,” that he should merit every time to come up with new original words which are the aspect of ruach hakodesh as mentioned above.

(Likutay Moharan, Torah 21 and 156. Outpouring of the Soul 64)

Yearning creates potential souls, verbalizing the yearning actualizes them

Through the conversation that one converses and speaks between himself and his Maker, and he verbalizes his yearnings and good desires, that which he yearns, and quests, and longs to get out of his baseness and merit to the true good, and he prays and pleads before Hashem Yisburach for this, through this he produces the good souls from their state of potentiality (bikoaach) to actuality (bifoaal). For through the longing alone, potential souls are made [because the yearning is the soul, in the aspect of (Psalms 84:3), “my soul yearns and pines (-even to the extent of expiration),” (added from Outpouring of the Soul)] and through the speaking mentioned above, they are completed and produced from potential (bikoach) to actuality (bifoal) [in the aspect of (Genesis 2:7), “and the man became a living soul,” and the Targum (aramaic translation of Unkellus) is, “a speaking spirit,” and as it is written (Song of Songs 5:6), “my soul departed with his speaking.” (added from Outpouring of the Soul)]. And through this one merits to effectuate his request, and he merits to configure the letters of the Torah for the good, and sustain and give to everything, and to draw goodness and blessing in all the worlds [and good implementations are carried out in the world (added from Outpouring of the Soul)], and many souls are aroused to repentance through this speech, that one speaks between himself and his Maker.

For this matter of yearning and good desires, and to fully verbalize them, is extremely precious, and everyone needs to accustom himself to engage in this plentifully every day, and through this it is possible to return the whole world to the better.

(Likutay Moharan 31, Outpouring of the Soul 56 – at much greater length)

Connect the heart to its point to save it from the shame of fallen desires

In every Israelite there is an extremely precious good point, whose desire is always strong, to do the desire of its Maker, but the (worldly) desires break his heart, and through this his heart is distant from the point. Therefore it is necessary for every person to speak between himself and his Maker, in order to light up the aspect of the point which is in his heart, and through this his uncircumcised heart will be nullified, that is, the bad loves (-affections) which are the heart's disgrace, which break a person's heart [in the aspect of (Psalms 69:21), “disgrace broke my heart” (added from Outpouring of the Soul)]. [See the entry of Tzadik, article 42].

(Likutay Moharan 34:7-8; Outpouring of the Soul 57).

Speaking to G-d will bring one to be embarrassed before Him with such holy connection that his face will shine

A person needs to accustom himself to speak between himself and his Maker, frankly with great and utter truth, until his heart is truly aroused, until he begins to speak with a passionate heart words of truth that are in his heart with great arousal, with repentance, until he sees his negligibility and the greatness of the Creator, until he is very embarrassed before Him blessed He. For until now he threw his sins behind his shoulders (-turned his back on them) and did not pay attention to them, and now that he acknowledges them, in this way he is inoculated with great embarrassment over the severity of his sins against a master and ruler, the essence and root of all the worlds, and this embarrassment is revealed on his face, and this shame is the aspect of the light of the tefillin, which are the sign of attachment (divaikus) Israel has with the Creator blessed He, and it is the aspect of (the) beam of light of the face, and through this shame all his sins are forgiven.

(Likutay Moharan, Torah 38; Likutay Aitzos, Embarrassment and Brazenness 2, Speech 7; Outpouring of the Soul 58).

Abnegation to be included in one’s root

It is necessary for every one to see to it that he is included in his root. And in order to be included in his root, it is necessary for him to have abnegation (“bitool”). And it is impossible to come to abnegation except through hisbodidus, because through seclusion of himself with his Creator, through this he can abnegate everything, and bind (“divaikus”) with Hashem Yisburach, and be included in his root.

(Likutay Moharan 52; Outpouring of the Soul 59)

At night, go alone to somewhere people never go, and completely nullify yourself to G-d.

The primary hisbodidus is at night, for then everyone is sleeping, and also that the place should be outside the city, that he should go on a solitary way, that is, in a place where people do not go there even in the day. And through this that one does hisbodidus at night on a solitary way as mentioned above, and clears his heart and mind from all engagements of this world, and abnegates everything, until he nullifies himself completely; meaning, that first he prays copiously until he abnegates this vice, and afterwards [he continues to pray copiously until (Outpouring of the Soul)] he abnegates a different vice, and afterwards [he continues to pray copiously until (Outpouring of the Soul)] he utterly nullifies himself, that he should not retain any haughtiness or any entity, until he is in his (own) eyes as literally nothing and void, and through this he merits to come to the aspect of true nullification, and through this his soul is included in its root [in His infinite (Ain Soaf) unity blessed He, which is called the michoo'yuv hamitzee'oos (imperative <of> existence), as is known (Outpouring of the Soul)]. And through this the entire world is included with him in its root, that is, it is all included with him in His Unity blessed He.

(Likutay Moharan 52; Outpouring of the Soul 59 – at much greater length).

Hisbodidus at night, crying to G-d and building ones good points from out of the bad, bring joy, and holds lust at bay, and cultivates a consciousness of the future world

At night, then it is the main time for hisbodidus, that is to seclude oneself with his Creator, to express one's words before Hashem Yisburach, to converse with one’s heart[1] to seek out the good spirit, that is, the good points that he still retains, to cull them from within the bad spirit, until he pours out his heart like water directly before the countenance of Hashem (Lamentations 2:19), and through this he will merit to joy and to quell the imagination, from which all the desires ensue. And through this he will merit memory, to always remember the World to Come, and to think at all times of his purpose and ultimate end, of the World to Come, until he merits to truthfully return to Him blessed He.

(Likutay Moharan, Torah 54; Outpouring of the Soul 60).

Sighing – to regain one's standing

When a person prays with divaikus (binding, clinging to Gd) or does hisbodidus properly, and in the middle he falls from his level, this stems from defection of (the) faith, and so it is necessary then to break his heart inside, and to be ashamed of himself for falling from heaven to earth, and he should pity himself until he sighs, and through the sigh he will return to his level.

(Likutay Moharan, torah 108; Outpouring of the Soul 63).

G-d helps and provides words for one to prevail and be victorious despite all

When one speaks before the Holy One Blessed He and expresses his words with argumentations and supplications, and desires to best the Holy One Blessed He, so to speak, that He should do his bidding, the Holy One Blessed He derives exquisite pleasure and joy from this, that they are defeating Him. Therefore He Blessed He, Himself sends him words in his mouth, so that he can defeat Him, because otherwise it would certainly be impossible for (man of) flesh and blood to defeat the Holy One Blessed he, just, Hashem Yisburach Himself helps him with this, as mentioned above.

(Likutay Moharan 124; Outpouring of the Soul 24)

Candidly unburdening oneself to G-d evokes Divine consolation

When a person does hisbodidus and expresses his words and his pain before Hashem Yisburach, and confesses and regrets the severity of the defects he impaired, then the Shechina (Divine Presence) directly across him expresses before him Her words and pain, for every single infraction and infringement that he violated in his neshama (soul), he inflicted by Her, so to speak, and She consoles him, that he should seek contrivances to rectify all the damages.

(Likutay Moharan, torah 259; Outpouring of the Soul 66).

Do hisbodidus in the fields

It is very good to pray and to express one’s words (-sentiments) before Hashem Yisburach in a field in the grasses and the trees. Because when a person prays and expresses his words in a field, then all the grasses and all the vegetation of the field, all of them come into his prayer and help him and give him power in his prayer and conversing.

(Likutay Moharan II, Torah 11; Outpouring of the Soul 27-8)

Highest virtue, Speak in your vernacular, and Set a designated hour daily

It has already been explained, that hisbodidus is a great virtue, and a very correct and upright way to draw close through it to Hashem Yisburach. And it is necessary for everyone to set for this some hours of the day, to express one’s words (-sentiments) before Hashem Yisburach in the spoken language,[2] like in these provinces, in Yiddish ("lushon Ashkenaz", today this can very readily refer to English vernacular), in which we speak. Because in the native tongue it is much easier to express well all one’s words, and all that is with (-upon) his heart he should converse before Hashem Yisburach with argumentations and exculpations, and words of appeasement and entreaty, that he should merit to draw close to Him Blessed He, everyone according to what he knows the maladies of his heart, and how distant he is from Hashem Yisburach.

And the actual virtuous ascendances of this practice cannot be explained nor fathomed, because this practice exceeds everything, and it includes all the service of Hashem. Because through this one can come to all the goodness in this world and the next. Because everything can be accomplished through prayer and entreaty. And all the great tzadikim did not come to their levels except through this practice, and one who applies himself to understand the matter, will understand on his own the great ascendances of this practice. Fortunate is the one who merits to set for himself for this a designated hour every single day, and the rest of the day he should be joyous.

(Likutay Moharan II, Torah 25; Outpouring of the Soul, article 2)

Pray to attain what you learned

It is also good to make from the Torah-teachings – prayers, and see inside (the source), and understand.

(Likutay Moharan II, Torah 25; Outpouring of the Soul, article 2)

Trying to cry is also a distraction

Even though crying before Hashem Yisburach with entreaties and beseeching is extremely good, even still, when a person says Psalms or other entreaties and supplications, or converses personally with his Creator, and he thinks and anticipates, and looks mindfully all the time that he should cry and shed tears, this also is a (distracting) foreign thought, and confuses the kavana (-concentration, intention). Because the main thing is – that he should concentrate his mind to say the words truly with all his heart, that he should incline his ear and his heart to hear what he is expressing with his mouth, and if he is aroused to cry, how wonderful – and if not, he should not confuse his concentrations for this.

(Likutay Moharan II, Torah 95; Outpouring of the Soul 3)

Hisbodidus is the only way to succeed

Daily Persistence even just for the preparation or one utterance

All the tzadikim and the G-d fearing, didn’t come to their level except through hisbodidus and conversation between oneself and his Creator, as is explained earlier. And specifically in these generations, at the end of the exile, when the yetzer hura (-evil inclination) and the other side (-evil realm) have very extremely intensified, and the generation is very weak, body and soul, it is impossible to be saved now from the onslaught and from the abundant impediments and to draw close to Hashem Yisburach, except through conversing between oneself and his Creator, that one should accustom himself to set a designated hour every day to express his words before Hashem Yisburach in his native tongue specifically. And everything that is with (-on) his heart he should converse before Hashem Yisburach, be it to ask for pardon and forgiveness on the past, be it to entreat for the future that Hashem Yisburach should save him from what he needs to be saved from, and he should merit to draw close to Him blessed He.

And even if he is unable to speak and to express his words, even still, even if he won’t speak just one word, this is also very good. And even if he says just, “Master of the World,” this is also very good.

And even the preparation itself, what he prepares himself and desires to speak, even though he is unable to speak, even still the preparation and the desire itself is very precious in the eyes of Hashem Yisburach.

And if he will be strong at this, to force himself every time to speak before Hashem Yisburach what is with (-on) his heart), certainly in the course of time Hashem Yisburach will help him so that he will be able to express his words well, and he can merit to speak new (-novel) precious words that they will bestow him with from the heavens, and he will merit to come to all the goodness, truth, and eternal, through this practice, which includes all the aitzoas (-advice, remedies) for serving Hashem Yisburach. Because all the aitzoas need copious prayer and entreaty, fortunate is the person who strengthens himself in this. Because from (one) small (in stature) to (one) big (in stature), it is impossible to be a kosher person except through hisbodidus and conversing between oneself and his Creator.

(Likutay Moharan II, 25, 96, 100, Outpouring of the Soul, Introduction, article 2, 4, 8, 47)

Find yourself in the Psalms and prayers

Also when one says Psalms, or “Chatzoas” (the midnight rectification), or other entreaties and supplications, he needs to find himself in them (-to see how they pertain to him personally). And see inside (the source) wondrous discourses in these matters.

(Likutay Moharan II, Torah 101, Outpouring of the Soul 9)

Speak even without heart, always start new

Even though it seems to the person that he is speaking without heart, even still this is very good. And when he speaks so, abundant words, through this he will usually merit that his heart will be aroused to speak with an impassioned heart befittingly, because speech has a great power to arouse a person. And even if many days and years pass, and it appears to him that he still has not accomplished anything with his words and conversing, even still he shouldn’t fall from this at all, because certainly the words make an impression. An allegory for this: Like water coming down on a stone, even though it would seem that the water doesn't have power against the hard stone, and the water has no apparent impression in the stone, even still, when the water comes down on the stone many, many times consecutively, they bore a whole in the stone, as can be seen outright. Similarly, even if one's heart is a heart of stone, and shows no sign of his words and his prayers, even still with the accumulation of days and years his heart of stone will be pierced through his conversing and his words, like (Job 14:19), “stones withered by water,” as mentioned above.

(Words of Rabbi Nachman, article 234, Outpouring of the Soul 37)

And it is good for a person to say during hisbodidus, “Today I begin to bind (divaikus) to You.” And every time he should initiate a beginning, because all continuations follow after the beginnings. Like they say: the beginning is paramount to half of the phenomenon of the entire process. Consequently, either way he should make a new start every time, and he should say as mentioned above, for either way (mima nafshuch); if it was good before – now it will be better, and if Heaven forbid beforehand it was not good – certainly it is necessary and incumbent to launch a new beginning, as mentioned above.

(The Life of Rabbi Nachman, article 437; Outpouring of the Soul 45).

Speak to Hashem until your soul is about to depart

It is necessary to converse and speak between oneself and his Creator, and to truly arouse ones heart so much, to the extent that his soul will just about depart, Heaven forbid, and this is the main completeness (/perfection) of hisbodidus.

(Likutay Moharan II, Torah 99; Outpouring of the Soul 7)

Speak to Hashem like you speak to a friend

When Hashem Yisburach helps with (one’s) hisbodidus, he can express his words before Hashem Yisburach like a person speaks to his friend. And it is necessary to accustom oneself to this, that he should speak to Hashem Yisburach like he speaks with his teacher or his friend, because Hashem Yisburach exists everywhere, because (Isaiah 6:3), “the entire world is filled with His glory.”

(Likutay Moharan II, Torah 99; Outpouring of the Soul 7)

Speak to G-d like an enamored toddler pesters his father

It is very good for someone who is able, to pour out his words before Hashem Yisburach piteously and pleadingly, like a son who pesters (before) his father [which is called “piyestin”- (playing, cooing)]. And how good it is when one can arouse his heart with entreaties until he cries and sheds tears like a son before his father.

(Sichos Huran – The Words of Rabbi Nachman 7; Outpouring of the Soul 17)

Scream silently

It is possible to scream to Hashem Yisburach in a silent whisper, screaming tremendously, and no one will hear anything, because one does not release any sound outside, he just visualizes distinctively the scream in thought etc. [see inside (the source) the matter].

(Words of Rabbi Nachman, article 16; Outpouring of the Soul 40).

A Broken Heart Is Precious and Not Sadness

A broken heart is extremely precious. And know that a broken heart and sadness are not at all the same thing. Because sadness is like someone is angry and upset, but a broken heart is like a son who expresses his yearning before his father, like a baby who cries and complains before his father for being distant from him, and this is precious and dear before Hashem Yisburach.

And it would be good for a person to have a broken heart the entire day, however, since most people can easily come from a broken heart to sadness, which is extremely damaging, may the Merciful One save us, as is explained numerous times, and see (the entry of) Happiness, therefore it is necessary to designate just some hours in the day to express one’s words with a broken heart, and the rest of the entire day he should be happy.

(Words of Rabbi Nachman, article 41-42; Outpouring of the Soul 19-20).

Na Nach Nachma Nachman MayUman

[1] In Outpouring of the Soul it says here, to pour out one’s soul like water etc. and to seek etc., whereas here in Likutay Aitzos, it first says to converse etc. to cull the good points and only then it says to pour out one’s soul etc..

[2] There are actually halachic opinions that forbid this, but the leading halachic authority, the Ro”sh says ruled that the prohibition only applies to the language of Aramaic, and this is congruous with the holy Zohar.

Na Nach Nachma Nachman MayUman!

NaNach

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Monday, October 28, 2019

Likutay Aitzoas - A Collection of Remedies/Advice - Hisbodidus